Davis succeeds with inner child

November 12, 2005|AL LESAR

Moping didn't make Charles Davis one of the top receivers on the Purdue football team. It came from desire and intensity -- things the 6-foot-6, 260-pound fifth-year senior tight end had to be reminded about before last Saturday's win over Michigan State. After some early success this season against Minnesota (five catches for 100 yards) and Iowa (three for 27), Davis had become the invisible man. In losses to Northwestern, Wisconsin and Penn State, he had a combined production of two catches for 23 yards. "The biggest thing came from my locker neighbor (senior receiver Chase Lecklider)," Davis said. "He asked me a couple questions: 'Do you feel as if anybody can stop you?' Then he asked me, 'Why are you stopping yourself?' I got to thinking about it. He said, 'Play like you used to play on the playground.' Right after we spoke about that, I had a good feeling." That good feeling translated into a great performance. He was a reliable target for quarterback Curtis Painter. Davis caught six passes for 84 yards while taking advantage of a Spartan defense that paid quite a bit of attention to Purdue's deep threat, Dorien Bryant. "When the (Michigan State) defense flowed in Dorien's direction, they rolled a second guy over to him," Purdue coach Joe Tiller said. "That opened up Chuck on the other side." Today's home finale with Illinois should give Davis even more opportunities to contribute to the attack. Before the season started, Davis was more of a luxury than a necessity. Whenever anyone thought about the tight end position at Purdue, Dustin Keller was the name mentioned. He's a 6-4, 245-pound junior that Tiller can build a game plan around. However, an early ankle injury that never got much better sidelined Keller for most of the season and put Davis in the spotlight. Davis has responded with 20 catches for 264 yards and a touchdown while his team has mysteriously struggled the entire fall. "I was thinking a little bit too much," Davis said of the past few games when he disappeared in the framework of the offense. "I started thinking about what happens if the ball comes my way and it got to me. I wasn't practicing well the past few weeks. I got a couple talks from guys and the team and my dad and they basically said, 'Go out there and play. Play like you did when you were little.' "When you go out there and play like that, it comes naturally. That's pretty much what I did." "(Davis) has had a hit-and-miss season," Tiller said. "When fans look at how he played, they look at receptions. There's so much more a tight end does, especially blocking in the run game. Charles has been up and down. "(Against Michigan State) he played a lot better in the run game, pass protection and receiving. He made one exceptional catch near our sidelines that was really big." The timing of his new offensive presence and the end of the Boilermakers' six-game losing streak has made life much more bearable. "I was always brought up with, 'Without struggle, there is no progress,'" Davis said. "We've been battlin' and battlin', and to finally come out on top feels good. "As seniors, we've got a lot of pride. We know we can't go to a bowl game, but at the same time we know we can finish on a good note. We just want to set the tone for the seniors to come. We've been taught never to give up, to keep fightin', keep poundin', no matter what."